Portable support for invalids



July 10, 1951 B. AMES 2,560,062

PORTABLE SUPPORT FOR INVALIDS Original Filed Feb. 2, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 y 0, 1951 B. AMES 2,560,062

PORTABLE SUPPORT FOR I'NVALIDS Original Filed Feb. 2, 1944 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 k Q I fizz/61210.7

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July 10, 1951 B. AMES PORTABLE SUPPORT FOR INVALIDS Original Filed Feb. 2, 1944 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented July 10, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- PORTABLE SUPPORT FOR INVALIDS Butler Ames, Boston, Mass., assignor to The Walkabout Company, Lowell, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Original application February 2, 1944, Serial No. 520,745. Divided and this application February 20, 1947, Serial No. 729,736

3 Claims. (01. 155-22) This invention pertains to portable supports for individuals, for example persons incapacitated from walking by reason of infirmity or age, or those liable to be subjected to extreme weariness from prolonged standing or walking, and 7 relates more particularly to an improved support of the general type disclosed in United States patent to Ames No. 2,282,689, dated May 19, 1942, the present application being a division of appli cation Serial No. 520,745, for Portable Support, upon which Patent No. 2,437,778 issued on March 16, 1948.

The support of the present invention, like that disclosed in the patent, comprises two substantially rigid supporting units normally disposed in spaced substantially parallel relation and between which the user stands or sits, and a back to which both supporting units are hinged. l'he frames of the supporting units and back are in general similar to the corresponding parts of the patented device, being made of thin and light but very stiff and rigid tubing. The top or hand supporting bar or rail of each supporting unit is preferably integrally continuous with the front and rear legs of the respective unit, while the lower, stretcher bar of each supporting unit is welded to the legs, and the constituent bars of the back are welded together. The hinge connections between the supporting units are like wise in general similar in structure and function to the corresponding portions of the patented device, being so designed as to permit the supporting units to be swung through arcs of approximately 180 and placed in parallel folded positions for convenience in shipping or storing the support.

In the device disclosed in the aforesaid patent, the support is provided with wheels at its forward end only and normally rests upon skids at its rear end. These skids are effective in preventing the device from getting out of control of the user, for instance when on an incline, but on the other hand make is necessary to expend more energy than may sometimes be desirable in propelling the device.

Objects of the present invention are to provide an improved support of the type disclosed in said patent but which is easy to propel, which is light in weight and foldable for transportation; to provide a four-wheeled support having swiveled provision for the optional employment of crutch devices to assist in supporting the user; to provide wheel-supported crutches which are independently adjustable as to height and relatively movable toward and from each other to accommodate users of different sizes and to yield to bodily movements; and to provide a wheeled support having swiveled front wheels but so designed that the front wheels do not drag when the device is folded for transportation.

TDther and further objects and advantages of the invention will be pointed out in the following more detailed description and by reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the improved support set up and ready for use, but omitting the crutches;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is aside elevation of the device of Fig. 1 as it appears when folded for storage or transportation, the seat being omitted;

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the device showing the crutches in operative position, the seat being broken away;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary, diametrical section to larger scale, showing details of the hinge means which connects the back with each supporting unit;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the upper part of the crutch staff showing the arm-pit pad;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary elevation, partly in diametrical section, of the upper part of the crutch staff socket and the lower part of the restraining bracket;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary plan view of the crutchrestraining bracket;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary side elevation of the stretcher bar of one of the unitssnowing the lower end of the crutch socket attached thereto;

' and su ortin units are alike and each comprises a front wheels thereby to facilitate steering it; to pp g rear leg 6, (Figs. 1 and 3) a front leg '1 and an upper or hand-supporting rail comprising the aligned members 8 and 8e, united by a tubular guide as more fully described in the above patent to Ames No. 2,437,778. E'ach supporting unit also comprises a stretcher bar 9 spaced a substantial distance below the hand-supporting rail and substantially parallel to the latter, the opposite ends of the stretcher bar being rigidly united to the rear and front legs 6 and l by welding, brazing or the like. The parts 6, l, 8, 3 and 5, as well as the top and bottom rails 2 and 3 of the back, are preferably formed of thin out very rigid and strong metal tubing, for example drawn stainless steel tubing. As here illustrated the rear leg 6 is integrally joined with the part 8 by a smoothly bent portion it of the tubular material, while the front leg 1 is integrally united to the part B of the hand-supporting rail by the smooth bend II.

The front and rear legs and 'i of the unit diverge downwardly away from each other, the upper portions of these legs preferably making an angle of approximately 5 1 with the vertical; Likewise the hinge members 4 and 5 of the back diverge downwardly from each other making a similar angle of 5% with the vertical so that the axes of these hinge sleeves t and 5 make angles of approximately 84 5; with the connect ing rails 2 and 3. The downward divergence of the hinge sleeves 4 and 5 provides for stability of the device by spreading the supporting units apart at their lower portions, while the inclination of the legs of the unit causes the front wheels of the two units to be elevated from the floor when the device is folded as shown in Fig. 3, so that only two of the wheels, that is to say the rear wheels of the device, then contact the floor. This prevents the freely swiveling front wheels from interfering with the transportation of the folded device when wheeling it along on its rear wheels in the position of Fig. 3.

As illustrated in Fig. 5, the rear leg 6 of each unit extends down through a corresponding hinge sleeve 5 of the back member located above the stretcher bar 9 of each unit. Each leg {5 is provided with a fixed collar or annulus i5 welded to the leg and having its upper edge shaped to provide teeth It of truncated triangular shape. The lower end of the hinge sleeve 5 is swedged to increase its diameter as shown in Fig. 5 and within this enlargement there is fixed, as by brazing, a ring or annulus 18 whose lower edge is shaped to provide teeth l9, also of truncated triangular shape and designed to fit normally within the space between the teeth It thus to prevent relative rotation of the leg 6 and the sleeve 5. Just above the upper end of the sleeve 5, the leg 6 is provided with an externally screw-threaded flange 2|] with which engages a peripherally knurled nut 2| having its lower end normally in engagement with the upper end of the sleeve 5 so as to prevent relative axial movement of the sleeve 5 and the leg 6. However, by retracting the nuts 2 I, the entire back of the device may be raised suiiiciently to disengage the teeth i6 and i9, whereupon the supporting units may be swung about the axes of the legs 5 so as to dispose the supporting units in substantially parallel planes with the back interposed between them as shown in Fig. 3. The front and rear legs of the device are so bent that their lower portions 6* and 7 (Figs. 1 and 2) are substantially vertical.

The lower end of each rear leg '5 is provided with a fixed collar 22 brazed or otherwise rigidly secured to the leg, such collar constituting the upper part of a forked bracket 23 (Fig. 2) having bearings for the rear wheel 2A. This rear wheel may be of conventional wire-spoke construction. having a rubber or other resilient tire 24. As above noted, the collars 22 are rigidly secured to the lower ends of the legs 6 and the brackets 23 are so arranged that the planes of the rear wheels are always parallel. A bracket 40 is swiveled to the lower end of each front leg-and provides bearlugs 41 for a wheel having a resilient tire 42, pref erably of the same diameter as the tire of the rear wheel. The brackets 48 are free to turn relatively to the front legs of the respective units so that each front wheel is free to swivel.

Each of the stretcher bars 5 is provided with a fixed bracket 6! (Fig. 9) near its forward end, each bracket having a recess E2 which is designed to receive a pin provided at the end of a bar 53 (Fig. 1) extending across the forward edge of a flexible seat member 64. The upper edge of this seat member is secured to the upper rail of the back. When in use, the bar 63 is engaged with the recesses or slots 82 of the brackets, thus holding the seat in operative position as shown in Fig. l, but when the seat is not to be used the bar 63 is disengaged from the brackets 6i and the flexible seat material may be wound about the bars 2 and 3 of the back. As here illustrated, each bracket 5i is provided with a transverse opening 55 (Fig. l) which is designed to receive a pin 36 (Fig. 9) passing through the forked lower end of a plug 87 which is fixed within the lower end of a tubular crutch socket 69. This crutch socket is preferably of thin rigid tubing and of a length (Fig. i) such as to reach up substantially to the level of the corresponding hand-supporting rail and is preferably provided at its upper end with a radial flange 'sil (Fig. 7) Each hand-supporting rail is provided with a bracket member Ii (Figs. 1 and 8) (which may be removed if desired) to which is secured or with which is integral a horizontal member l2 (Fig. 8) rovided with an elongate looped portion '?3 (Figs. 7 and 3) which embraces the upper part of the crutch socket ":3 at a point just below the flange it. The loop 3 is of such length as to permit the upper part of the crutch socket to move laterally within the loop, the crutch socket swinging about its point of connection to the bracket El. The crutch socket is designed to receive the lower, substantially straight portion "54 of a crutch staff whose upper end portion 1'5 is preferably curved. At its upper end each crutch socket is designed to re ceive a plug projecting from an arm-pit rest or pad :6. The straight lower portion of each crutch staff is furnished with a series of spaced openings Ti, and the upper part of each crutch socket is furnished with a single opening It (Fig. 4). A retaining pin 3'9 (Fig. 7) may be passed through the opening 78 of the socket and through any selected one of the openings ll of the crutch staff thereby to hold the crutch staff in vertically adjusted position. Preferably each pin V9 is, as illustrated in Fig. 10, riveted to the closed side of a split resilient ring 86. With this arrangement, when the pin is passed through the openings 1'1 and '13, the split ring 8%) is brought into embracing relation to the socket and thus effec tively' holds the pin in position until sufiici ll, force is applied to spread the ring 8% and permit the pin to be withdrawn. The arm-pit rest it is removably secured to the upper end of the crutch staff by a similar pin and ring 89 The pin 66 which unites the lower end of the crutch staff socket to the bracket 6! is likewise preferably carried by a split ring 8| (Fig. 9) which embraces the lower end 69 of the socket.

In use, the crutch staffs are disposed as shown in Fig. 4, so that their curved upper parts are concave toward each other. This disposes the arm-pit pads 15 nearer to each other than the hand-supporting rails of the respective units so that the arm-pit pads are conveniently located for the user whose arms extend downwardly in diverging relation and whose hands grip the hand-supporting rails. Since the sockets 59 may swing outwardly or inwardly to a limited extent, the position of the pads 16 may vary in accordance with the size of the user and the user is given much more freedom of movement than though the pads were rigidly fixed in position. By removing the pins 19 the crutch staffs may be adjusted vertically to accommodate users of different heights.

While the device is shown in Fig. 4 as provided with crutches, it is obvious that the crutches may be removed either by removing the staffs from their sockets or by removing the sockets from the brackets 65 and 12. If desired the brackets 12 may also be removed from the arm-supporting rails.

In the normal use of the device the two supporting units are disposed so that they are substantially at right angles to the plane of the back,

being held in this position by the tooth members I6 and [9 of the hinge means. In this position the operator may stand or sit between the supporting units and may propel himself along in any desired direction, supporting a portion or all of his weight upon the wheels. Since the front wheels readily swivel it is easy to guide the apparatus in any direction. The provision of the brakes makes it possible to provide four wheels for the device without any danger that it will run away and injure the occupant.

When the device is to be stored, or when it is to be transported from place to place (when not in actual use) the knurled nuts 2| are loosened, the retaining teeth is and I9 disengaged and the supporting units swung in opposite directions I about the hinge means until the supporting units lie at the opposite sides of the back and in substantially parallel planes. By reason of the inclination of the hinged axes this folding operation raises the front wheels from the ground G k may be omitted if it be desired to provide a simpler and less expensive device for more limited use.

While a certain desirable embodiment of the invention has here been shown and described by way of example, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily limited to the precise details of construction here shown but is to be regarded as broadly inclusive of any modification 0r rearrangement falling within the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A crutch support comprising in combination a pair of rigid frames, each having a substantially horizontal hand-supporting rail and a stretcher bar spaced below and substantially parallel to each respective hand-supporting rail, said frames normally being substantially parallel and spaced apart sufiiciently to permit a person to stand between them, means connecting the frames, a vertically elongate, tubular crutch support mounted on each frame, each socket being constructed and arranged to receive the lower portion of a crutch staff, each socket having a transverse aperture at its lower end, a bracket fixed to the stretcher bar of each carrier frame and a pivot pin passing through the aperture at the lower end of each crutch socket and pivotally uniting said socket to the bracket on the stretcher bar, each socket, when in operative position, reaching upwardly to the hand-supporting rail, means carried by the hand-supporting rail for limiting swinging movement of the upper end of the socket relative to the rail, a crutch staff having its lower portion telescoped within each socket, each staff having an arm-pit pad at its upper end, and means for adjusting each crutch staff axially of its socket, thereby to vary the height of its arm-pit pad.

2. A portable wheeled support for invalid or similar use in the form of a frame having spaced supporting members between which the invalid may stand, each member having a hand rail which may be gripped to assist the invalid in walking, characterized in that each member has associated therewith an underarm support engageable beneath the armpit, each underarm support comprising a staff removably mounted on the member, a vertically elongate staff socket for receiving the lower end of the staif, pivot means at the lower end of the socket, pivotally anchoring it to the member, a bracket fixed to the hand rail above the pivot means, and an elongate loop fastened to the bracket outward of the member, said loop surrounding the socket and permitting movement thereof and the staff to and from the member.

3. A portable and foldable crutch support including a pair of rigid frames, each having a substantially horizontal hand supporting rail and a stretcher bar spaced below and substantially parallel to each respective hand supporting rail, said frames normally being substantially parallel and spaced apart sufficiently to permit a person to stand between them, characterized in that each frame has a vertically elongate, tubular socket mounted thereon, constructed and arranged to receive the lower portion of a crutch staff, that there is means pivotally connecting the lower end of each socket to one of the stretcher bars, respectively, that the upper end of each socket is disposed adjacent to the hand rail and is provided with a radial flange, that the hand supporting rail has a rigid elongate loop member underlying the flange of the socket and embracing the socket, thereby permitting the upper end of the socket to swing outwardly from the rail to a limited extent, that a crutch staff is telescoped within the socket and has an armpit pad at its upper end, that the staff has a series of vertically spaced transverse openings therein and the socket has a transverse opening with which any one of the openings of the staff may be aligned, and that there is a removable pin adapted to be passed through the opening in the socket and a selected opening in the stafi, thereby to hold the staff at a desired adjusted heightwise position.

BUTLER AMES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

